The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for filling and sealing cans, bottles, jars and/or other types of containers for liquids, for example, carbonated beverages.
Conventional container filling apparatus comprise a filling assembly (e.g., in the form of a rotor) with a plurality of filling units (also called filling heads) which serve to convey liquid (e.g., a carbonated or non-carbonated beverage) from a tank into the aligned containers. Empty containers are supplied by a conveyor system in such a way that successive empty containers move to positions of alignment with successive orbiting filling units and are filled while remaining in alignment with the adjacent filling units. Successive filled containers are thereupon moved away from positions of alignment with filling units and are advanced into a capping or sealing unit to have their inlets sealed by closures in the form of caps or the like. Typical examples of liquids which can be filled in the above outlined conventional apparatus are lemonade, beer and many other carbonated or non-carbonated beverages.
A serious drawback of many heretofore known apparatus is that the distance between the filling and capping stations is very long. Thus, the open tops of filled containers remain exposed and are accessible for relatively long periods of time which results in prolonged contact between the confined liquids and oxygen in the surrounding air and/or in penetration of solid impurities into the containers which are on their way toward the capping station. Moreover, and if a conventional apparatus is designed to fill large numbers of containers per unit of time, i.e., if the filled containers are transported at a high or very high speed, a certain percentage of the body of liquid in a rapidly moving filled container which advances from the filling station to the capping station is likely to escape as a result of foaming, splashing and/or for other reasons. Still further, if a conventional apparatus is brought to a halt, e.g., due to a malfunction, the containers which happen to be located between the filling and capping stations remain exposed for long intervals of time which can affect the quality of the confined liquid as a result of foaming, contact with oxygen and/or contamination by solid substances in the surrounding atmosphere. Moreover, abrupt stoppage of containers which have left the filling station but are yet to reach the capping station can give rise to splashing and to resulting escape of liquid from the respective containers. Pronounced shortening of the path between the filling and capping stations of a conventional container filling and sealing or caping apparatus is not always possible, primarily due to the design of such apparatus and the need for the establishment of a certain distance between the filling and capping units.